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Dragons had the ability to assume human form. However, to achieve this, they created puppets that could function independently from their main body. In fact, less experienced dragons were unable to transform into humans and could only control these puppets.

The appearance of these puppets was entirely controlled by the dragon, allowing them to set any desired form. In Kafal’s case, she designed the puppet to resemble Lucella’s current appearance, portraying her as a motherly figure.

On the other hand, Kafal could alter the puppet’s appearance at will, even creating a perfect replica of Lucella if she wished.

Although these puppets were significantly weaker than the true power of a dragon, they still possessed strength. Infused with draconic energy, they could use magic and exhibit superhuman strength.

However, they lacked the immense power that a dragon’s true form possessed, the power to rewrite the very fabric of the world or rival the Regalia.

That’s why Julian believed that the fire-controlling puppet was Lucella.

“That’s an imposter…! B-But where is the real one…!”

Julian felt a surge of unease and quickly surveyed his surroundings.

Kafal’s true form was on the other side of the mountain, currently occupied with suppressing the power of the Regalia by continuously breathing out fire. In this situation, she couldn’t fully unleash her dragon abilities here.

Hence, even if the girl he saw earlier was a fake Lucella, it was logical to assume that the real Lucella was nearby, using her powers in place of the impostor.

Among the charging Setulev Knights alongside the fake Lucella, there was one knight who stood out for their impressive performance. From horseback, the small knight skillfully wielded a great axe with a long handle, effortlessly mowing down enemy soldiers.

Clad entirely in armor, including a full-face helmet, their identity remained hidden. Judging from their appearance, however, one would normally assume they were a dwarven woman. Dwarven women usually retained a youthful appearance akin to human teenagers, yet they possessed strong and robust physiques similar to the males, making their smaller stature advantageous on the battlefield. Her presence on the battlefield seemed entirely natural. Moreover, wielding a favored dwarven weapon like an axe provided further misleading evidence.

“Yaaahhh!!”
“Ugh!?”
“Agaah!”

She swung the long axe coated in flames, and soldiers were sent flying like cut grass.

Slipping in and lurking amidst the chaos of the battle, the dwarven knight… nay, the real Lucella, disguised in an armor specially made for a dwarven female knight, had seamlessly infiltrated Marquis Angus’ forces, cutting her way through the enemy ranks until she finally neared the main camp.

Seizing an opportune moment in the enemy’s defense, she dashed straight toward Monica.

Julian had no choice but to respond with his elite unit who were also his guards when the fake Lucella launched her attack. It was a strategic move to handle the threat and create a chance for victory. However, this left their defenses weakened.

“So it was you!”

At last, Julian realized the truth.

With Kafal’s puppet gone, there was only one source of the dragon aura remaining. As an experienced warrior, Julian naturally sensed the overwhelming power and presence of a dragon even amid the chaotic battlefield. Lucella, in her combat stance, couldn’t hide the unmistakable dragon aura.

From the seemingly empty void, water surged forth.

Swirling and spraying like a serpent, a barrage of water spears rushed straight at Lucella. The water aimed to pierce, tear, crush, and even freeze her, not even planning to spare the allies. It was capable of being a deadly strike, even for Lucella herself.

But upon witnessing this, Lucella couldn’t help but smile within her helmet.

“Thanks. I’ll take all that water!”
“What!?”

Just as it seemed the rushing torrent would completely pierce Lucella, something unexpected occurred. The water flow was ensnared by an unseen massive vortex swirling around Lucella, and it started to thunderously rotate.

—It’s heavy…! But far better than directly countering it with Fire Breath!

Despite managing to avoid a direct hit, Lucella still felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on her.

She sensed as if the blood vessels in her fingers were on the verge of bursting.

Although not physically touching the water flow, she experienced an intense pressure, as if being crushed by massive rocks from all directions.

Her sturdy mythril armor buckled, deformed, and eventually got blown away. Beneath the armor, Lucella’s crimson battle outfit’s sash, skirt, and hair fluttered and struggled against the force.

However, even amid this turmoil, Lucella stood her ground. The power of water, the essence of this world. Lucella could assert control over it, making it her own.

While she couldn’t withstand the full force of the Regalia head-on, she could manipulate and mitigate its flow!

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!”

Lucella intercepted and redirected the force of the swirling water, unleashing it upon her surroundings.

Like a Hydra thrashing about, the water tore through the ground, mowing down the knights.

“Kuh!”

A newly formed water barrier protected Julian from the unleashed water flow. Julian was doing his best to safeguard both himself and Monica, the source of his power. Though Lucella carefully ensured that Monica remained unaffected by the chaos.

Suddenly, a strange object was hurled towards Julian.

Distracted by the flashy Pseudo-Tidal Breath, Julian reacted a bit too late. By the time he noticed, the object that had flown towards his feet had already burst, scattering peach-colored smoke.

“Ugh, cough, cough!”
“Thanks for the order. I’ll leave it on the imperial palace’s tab!”
“Yoouuu-!?”
“Oops! Time to bail!”

Wein, dressed in the Angus army outfit with a traditional sling in hand, started fleeing at high speed with marvelous dexterity.

“Now! Set all the Variants on him!”

Christophe’s voice shouted through the Caller that Lucella had on her.

Activating all available communication charms, his call echoed across the entire army. In response, a cacophony of monster roars erupted and reverberated through the battlefield.

The object Wein had thrown at Julian was a monster lure. Previously scattered and engaged in various battles, the Variants now surged toward Julian from different directions.

Not stopping there, even more Variants were unleashed simultaneously – previously held-back bird-like and Minor Dragon Variants joined the assault, charging into the chaotic battlefield and attacking both friend and foe.

While fending off the Variants, Julian found himself unable to relinquish control of the Regalia back to Monica. Due to the directives enforced by the Enslavement Collar, Monica couldn’t act independently unless Julian gave the command.

This gave Lucella a few dozen seconds of leeway. Now, nothing stood between her and Monica. Lucella then unfurled a small carpet, the size of a cushion, imbued with a teleportation spell.

The clash of weapons, gunfire, and exploding magic filled the air.

—This is punishment.

Screams, cries, and wails echoed around.

—This is punishment. Punishment for being born. Punishment for living.

Monica herself had no power. She couldn’t even resist the ominous command of the accursed collar.

Yet, just because of the blood she inherited from her parents, the Wisdom Eye Vortex followed Monica’s words. The overwhelming power wielded by her unintended will mercilessly claimed countless lives.

—If that is a sin, I believed only I would bear the punishment…

As if she was wielding her own arm, the sensation of crushing and eradicating lives was transmitted to her. Now, Monica was nothing but a tool for killing.

—I couldn’t choose how I was born, but I could have chosen how to die. As expected, I should’ve just died much sooner…!!

In her heart, Monica killed herself over and over, but her body continued to live on. As long as Julian needed her, she knew she would still exist.

All she saw ahead was a future of despair, where she believed she would only bring unhappiness. It was no longer just about her and her mother; it involved Setulev and beyond.

“Sorry for the wait, Monica. You’ve endured well,” a voice called out to her.

“Who…?” Monica looked up and saw a woman dressed like a mage.

She didn’t recognize her. Although the woman spoke to her warmly, Monica had no memory of her. Yet, the woman’s short, golden hair matched Monica’s own.

Their modest bust size was the same too.

As the woman removed her thick glasses, her eyes, the color of a clear sky, met Monica’s own, reflecting back a sense of familiarity.

“…Just leave the rest to your big sister!”

As she lightly held her hand up, Monica felt her body becoming lighter.

The armorized form of the Regalia, which covered her right arm and half of her body, disintegrated into fragments.

Supported by the power of the Regalia, Monica’s body had been floating in mid-air, but as it lost its support, she started to plummet. However, a smaller figure, covered in crimson, caught and held her securely.

The self-disassembling Wisdom Eye Vortex flowed through the air like magnetic iron sand, covering the mage woman’s right arm.

Crafted from the remains of ten Blue Dragons during the Human-Dragon War, the Regalia known as the Wisdom Eye Vortex had an armorized form that resembled a fusion of dragon scales and carapaces, taking the shape of a staff, a cane, and armor covering the right half of the body starting from the arm.

It was the same form that Monica had wielded before. The form itself hadn’t changed. However, there was something different from before. In Monica’s eyes, it almost seemed like a dragon that had come back to life.

“Hear me, Wisdom Eye Vortex!”

With the Regalia in hand, the woman spoke with a clear voice that spread through the battlefield.

“Bend to my will! Become the shackles that bind the land of clear streams! Thy master, Francesca Viole Etre Setulev, commands thee!!”